Equipment and adaptations

If you need equipment or alterations to help you remain in your own home, we might be able to help. A wide range of adaptations and aids to daily living are available for installation in individuals' homes. An occupational therapist can visit you at home to assess your needs and find out what would help you to carry out everyday tasks independently.

Assessment

Social Work Services have guidelines to determine the level of services people receive and how quickly they get them. If you need vital equipment, adaptations or personal support, arrangements will be made for you to work with an occupational therapist as soon as possible. We will visit you at home to carry out an assessment of your needs, looking at any practical difficulties you have and work with you to assess what you need and help where we can. You may be asked to demonstrate the nature of some of your problems so that we can fully appreciate them, like getting upstairs, or in and out of the bath. We also take your medical condition into consideration.

What does the assessment involve?

A member of staff will visit you at home and discuss any difficulties you are having. These difficulties may involve:

access in and round your home and/or local community

mobility, including problems with stairs

personal care tasks including bathing and toileting

domestic tasks including cooking

getting on or off your chair/toilet/bed

maximising your income

What happens next?

We will provide you with advice, equipment and adaptations to help you live as independently as possible within your own home. This information and advice is free.

Equipment

We supply equipment on long term loan, free of charge. When you no longer need the equipment, we expect you to return it to us.

Examples of equipment provided by East Ayrshire Council Social Work services:

assistance getting on and off the toilet, such as a raised toilet seat, a toilet frame or grab rails

assistance getting in and out of a chair, such as chair raisers or specialist cushions

assistance getting in and out of bed, such as bed raisers, pillow and mattress lifts and rails

assistance getting in and out of bath, such as bath boards, bath seats, bath lifts and grab rails

Low cost and minor adaptations

Low cost and minor adaptations will usually be provided free of charge.

Major adaptations

If we are considering a major adaptation we will advise you of our decision and what will happen next. All adaptations provided by Social Work Services and social housing providers are provided free of charge.

If you own your own home, or if your home is privately rented, there may be grants available to help you with major adaptations and your occupational therapist will be able to advise on this. Equipment and adaptations can be installed in privately owned or privately rented housing. Grant assistance is available at a minimum level of 80% of the cost of adaptation works.

For further information please contact your local Social Work office using the contact details provided below.